Homemade Sticky Buns

My Sticky Buns are soft, fluffy, buttery, and baked over a caramel pecan topping that turns glossy, gooey, and rich once the pan is flipped. This sticky buns recipe uses a homemade yeast dough, cinnamon pecan filling, brown sugar caramel sauce, and a little lemon zest to brighten the richness, creating old-fashioned sticky buns that taste like they belong at brunch, holidays, or any sweet weekend breakfast.

If you love these sticky buns, try Cinnamon Rolls with Mascarpone Icing, Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls, Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls, Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls, and Pineapple Upside Down Sticky Buns next.

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Jump to:

• Latest Recipe Video:
• What Makes Old Fashioned Sticky Buns Special?
• Key Ingredients
• How To Make Sticky Buns
• How to Store Sticky Buns
• Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips and Tricks
• What Is the Secret to a Soft Sticky Bun?
• Sticky Buns vs Monkey Bread
• Easy Sticky Buns Shortcut
• More Sweet Treats
• Before You Begin
• 📖 Recipe

One bite of a warm sticky bun tells you exactly why this recipe has lasted for generations. You get soft yeast dough, cinnamon sugar, toasted pecans, and that brown sugar caramel topping that runs into every swirl. It is sweet, rich, messy in the best way, and absolutely worth the time.

Homemade sticky buns can feel intimidating if you have not worked with yeast dough much, but the process is simple when you take it step by step. Make the dough, let it rise, make the sticky sauce, roll and fill the dough, let it rise again, bake, and flip the pan while the topping is still warm. That flip is where the magic happens.

What Makes Old Fashioned Sticky Buns Special?

Sticky buns are sweet yeast pastries baked with the topping underneath the rolls. Once the pan is inverted, the caramel pecan sauce becomes the glossy topping. That is the biggest difference between sticky buns and cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon rolls usually have more cinnamon sugar mixture in the filling and are finished with icing or cream cheese frosting. Sticky buns use a rich brown sugar and butter glaze, often with pecans or walnuts, and they are served warm and gooey instead of frosted.

Sticky buns also have a long history in Pennsylvania Dutch and German baking traditions. They are often connected to schnecken, a German-style spiral pastry. Over time, the sticky bun became a beloved bakery classic, especially in places with Pennsylvania Dutch influence.

Key Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need for this amazing sticky buns recipe.

Half-and-Half

Half-and-half adds richness to the dough and helps create a soft texture. It gives more flavor than water or whole milk and makes the sticky buns taste tender and homemade.

Active Dry Yeast

Active dry yeast gives sticky buns their rise, flavor, and fluffy texture. You need the yeast to wake up properly so the bread dough can double in size.

Granulated Sugar

Granulated sugar lightly sweetens the dough and helps feed the yeast. It also helps the dough develop flavor during the rise.

Eggs

A whole egg and an egg yolk enrich the dough and help give the sticky buns structure. This is part of what makes the dough soft, rich, and tender.

Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Unbleached all-purpose flour gives the dough structure while keeping it soft. It has enough protein to work well for sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, and many bread recipes without needing to buy bread flour.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon brings warmth to the dough and filling. Use fresh cinnamon because old cinnamon loses its aroma and flavor.

Lemon Zest

Lemon zest is a small ingredient that makes a big difference. It adds subtle brightness to the dough and caramel sauce without making the sticky buns taste lemony.

Pecans

Pecans give sticky buns their classic nutty flavor and texture. Chopping them yourself creates irregular pieces, making every bite more interesting.

Unsalted Butter

Butter makes the dough rich and gives the sticky sauce its glossy texture. Using softened butter in the dough, instead of melted butter, lets it blend in gradually without making the dough greasy, helping create a softer, lighter sticky bun with that buttery, old-fashioned flavor.

Light Brown Sugar

Light brown sugar sweetens the filling and sticky sauce while adding a gentle molasses flavor. It melts with butter, cream, and syrup to create the caramel topping.

Heavy Cream

Heavy cream makes the sticky sauce rich, smooth, and soft. It keeps the caramel from turning hard once the buns cool.

Dark Corn Syrup

Dark corn syrup helps the sticky sauce stay gooey, glossy, and smooth. It also adds deeper sweetness to the caramel pecan topping.

How To Make Sticky Buns

The key to this easy sticky buns recipe is making a soft, tacky dough, letting it rise until doubled, spreading the sticky sauce in the pan first, and flipping the buns shortly after baking.

Make Sticky Bun Dough

Warm the half-and-half to 115°F (46°C) to 120°F (49°C). It should feel warm enough to touch comfortably, not hot.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm half-and-half, active dry yeast, and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until frothy.

Beat in the egg and egg yolk until smooth.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, kosher salt, cinnamon, and lemon zest.

Mix and Knead the Dough

Attach the dough hook attachment to the mixer. Add the remaining sugar and flour mixture to the yeast mixture, then mix on low for 1 minute.

Add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, then mix on low speed for 10 minutes, or until a dough ball forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft and tacky, not sticky.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a greased bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Make the Sticky Topping

While the dough rises, add the chopped pecans to a medium pot over high heat and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.

In a medium bowl, stir together the toasted pecans, light brown sugar, melted butter, dark corn syrup, heavy cream, and kosher salt until combined. Pour the sticky sauce into a 9 x 13 baking pan and spread it evenly before adding the sliced buns.

Make the Filling

In a small bowl, mix the light brown sugar, cinnamon, kosher salt, and chopped pecans.

Roll and Fill the Dough

After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into an 18 x 14-inch rectangle.

Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll dough gently into a log, starting with the edge closest to you. Fold and press the seam to seal.

Cut the dough into 12 equal portions and place the rolls in the pan over the sticky sauce. Space them evenly so they do not touch.

Second Rise and Bake

Cover the pan with a towel and let the sticky buns rise in a warm spot for about 40 minutes, or until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and the center bun reaches 175°F (79°C).

Let the buns cool for 5 minutes. Place parchment paper and a platter or baking sheet over the pan, then carefully invert the sticky buns so the caramel pecan topping runs over the rolls. Cool for 15 minutes before serving warm on a serving platter.

How to Store Sticky Buns

Baked sticky buns are best eaten warm the day they are baked, when the topping is gooey and soft.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat sticky buns in a 400°F (204°C) oven for about 5 minutes, or until hot.

You can also freeze sticky buns. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe storage bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw for 24 hours or set at room temperature for 2 hours before reheating.

Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips and Tricks

Here are a few notes to remember when following to make the best sticky bun recipe.

• Warm the half-and-half to 105°F (41°C) to 115°F (46°C) for the safest range for activating yeast. Use an instant-read thermometer to get an accurate reading. My recipe warms it slightly higher, but the liquid should never feel hot enough to burn your finger.
• Active dry yeast needs to bloom before you mixed the dough. It should look frothy after 5 to 10 minutes, which tells you the yeast is alive and ready to work.
• I do not recommend instant yeast for this sticky buns recipe. It only saves a few minutes, and I like the flavor and confidence that come from blooming active dry yeast first.
• Fluff the flour before measuring by volume, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag can pack in too much flour and make the dough dry.
• The dough should be soft and tacky, not sticky. If it feels sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is easy to handle.
• Do not add too much flour. A soft dough gives sticky buns a tender texture, while a dry dough makes them dense.
• Do not roll the log too tightly. Roll it snug enough to hold the filling, but loose enough for the buns to rise and bake without dense centers.
• Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the dough cleanly without smashing them. Unflavored dental floss can also work, but I prefer keeping the floss in the bathroom and using a good knife.
• Do not skip the lemon zest. It will not make the sticky buns taste lemony; it adds subtle brightness to the dough and caramel sauce, balancing the richness of the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and pecans. Orange zest works well too.
• Pour the sticky sauce into the pan before the rolls. Bake the sticky buns with the topping underneath, then invert them after baking so the caramel pecan glaze ends up on top.
• Invert the sticky buns within 5 minutes after baking. Waiting too long can cause the caramel to set and lock the buns in the pan.
• Pecans are classic, but walnuts also work well. Both give the sticky buns crunch and a rich nutty flavor.
• Heavy cream makes the caramel topping rich and soft. It helps keep the glaze from turning hard as the buns cool.
• Honey or pure maple syrup can replace dark corn syrup in the sticky sauce. Honey adds floral depth, while maple syrup adds a warmer flavor.
• You can add dark spiced rum to the sticky sauce for a deeper flavor. Start with 1 tablespoon to enhance the caramel without overpowering the pecans.
• You can use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor.
• If you only have salted butter, use it instead of unsalted butter but omit the salt from the dough and pecan caramel sauce.
• Sticky buns can be prepared overnight for convenience. After placing the cut rolls in the pan, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, then let them sit in a warm place until puffy before baking.
• For a faster version, you can use store-bought puff pastry, but it will give you a flakier texture instead of the soft yeast dough in this recipe.
• If you do not have a platter, use a baking sheet to invert and release the sticky buns.
• Instead of a 9 x 13 baking pan, you can bake the sticky buns in a large cast iron skillet.
• If you do not have a stand mixer, make the dough by hand with a wooden spoon. Once it becomes too hard to stir, knead by hand until smooth.

What Is the Secret to a Soft Sticky Bun?

The secret to a soft sticky bun is a rich yeast dough and proper proofing. This dough uses half-and-half, egg, egg yolk, butter, flour, sugar, and yeast for a tender texture.

The dough should rise until doubled before shaping, then rise again after the rolls are in the pan. That second rise helps the buns bake up soft instead of dense. You also want the dough soft and tacky, not dry. Too much flour can make sticky buns heavy.

Sticky Buns vs Monkey Bread

Sticky buns and monkey bread are both sweet, pull-apart style baked treats, but they are shaped differently.

Sticky buns are rolled into a log, cut into individual spirals, and baked over a sticky pecan caramel topping. Monkey bread is usually made from small pieces of dough coated in butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then baked together in a Bundt pan or baking dish.

Both are sweet and shareable, but sticky buns have defined rolls and a caramel topping, while monkey bread is more of a pull-apart cluster.

Easy Sticky Buns Shortcut

For easy sticky buns, you can use store-bought puff pastry or refrigerated dough as a shortcut. It will not have the same soft yeast dough texture as this homemade sticky buns recipe, but it works when you need a faster version.

Roll the dough with cinnamon sugar and pecans, place it over a quick brown sugar butter topping, bake until golden, and invert while warm. Homemade dough gives you the best flavor and texture, but the shortcut can still give you a sweet, sticky brunch treat.

More Sweet Treats

Try these recipes if you need more options to satisfy your sweet tooth!

• Apple Cinnamon Biscuits
• Monkey Bread from Scratch
• Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
• Canned Peach Cobbler
• New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
• New Orleans Bananas Foster

Before You Begin

Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.

Step 1: Get all ingredients for the sticky buns on the counter before you preheat the oven to 170°F.

Step 2: Measure everything out.

Step 3: We don't want any surprises, so use an oven thermometer to ensure the oven is heating at the right temperature.

Step 4: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best pecan sticky buns you've ever enjoyed.

Making homemade sticky buns is a delicious and rewarding experience perfect for any occasion. With the right recipe, technique, and toppings, you can create a sweet and sticky treat that everyone will love. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment and star rating below. And don't forget to share this recipe with your loved ones on social media, so they can join in the fun and deliciousness. #LezEat

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